Change is only constant at Somerset Liquors

Wednesday

SOMERSET ­— They always have something new at Somerset Liquors. In fact, proprietor Jason Ollerhead said his store has brought in 2,049 new products in the last three years and averages two a day.

"We just continually change product, change displays, change what we do in the store," Mr. Ollerhead said.

Mr. Ollerhead made a presentation about his business that is located on Route 6 in Somerset to the Economic Development Committee last week. Mr. Ollerhead said that bringing in so many new products requires a lot of work because he has to inventory them, find spots on shelves for them and keep lists of products that are slow selling so that he knows what to replace.

Mr. Ollerhead said he takes his employees to different liquor stores arond the state. After they visit the businesses, he says they go out to dinner and discuss new ideas they have discovered and what they are doing right and wrong in their own store.

"We all work together as a team, and my employees make or break my facility and they make it, because they're great," Mr. Ollerhead said.

Mr. Ollerhead said companies bring a lot of new products to him. He said he tastes them, so he can educate people about what beers or wines go best with certain foods.

"For every wine I add, I probably turn down 10," Mr. Ollerhead said.

Mr. Ollerhead said he has two managers who study wine and are constantly going to wine tastings.

"The wine trend always changes," Mr. Ollerhead said.

Mr. Ollerhead said companies often ask him to make a commitment to buy large volumes of new products.

Somerset Liquors has 17 employees. Mr. Ollerhead bought the business from his father three years ago. He said he tries to get people in and out of the store as fast as he can with four registers. During busy times of year, like around Christmas, he gets a police detail officer to direct traffic at the store.

"We want customers to be safe coming and going from the facility," Mr. Ollerhead said.

Mr. Ollerhead said his business has benefitted from a tax in Rhode Island that causes people from that state to come to Massachusetts to buy wine. He fought against a proposal for such a tax in Massachusetts.

Mr. Ollerhead is a member of the Massachusetts Package Store Association

Mr. Ollerhead said redemption machines, which he has 14 of that accept almost every bottle out there, also helps business a lot.